Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

678. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to outline the contingency plans in place to safeguard and increase the current level of funding for third level research in science and technology in addition to small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in research activities post Brexit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5499/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Innovation 2020, Ireland's cross-governmental strategy for Research and Development, Science and Technology, commits all Government Departments to increase overall levels of investment in the area of research, year on year, to 2020. Supporting research is a key pillar of Ireland’s enterprise policy given its role in driving productivity, competitiveness and thereby the creation and maintenance of jobs.

In 2017 the development of a new cycle of the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) will be a critical mechanism to further deliver on third level research funding and our commitments under Innovation 2020. My Department has commenced the planning and design of the new cycle of PRTLI in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills. The programme will fund human capital, buildings and equipment, as well as new programmes to be introduced including the funding of challenge–based research and frontier research.

With regard to funding for SMEs engaging in research activities, one of the key implications of the Brexit vote is that Irish firms will need to consider new international markets. Research Development and Innovation (RDI) capabilities and activity will create the greatest competitive advantage for Irish firms and Enterprise Ireland is ready to work with companies commencing RDI activities for the first time or increasing their existing levels of innovation or ready to collaborate with others to achieve step changes in capabilities that could never be achieved alone.

On January 9th of this year, Enterprise Ireland published its 2017-2020 Strategy – Build Scale, Expand Reach. The strategy builds on the success of recent years and sets new, ambitious targets for export growth and jobs. In terms of research, development and innovation, key priorities for Enterprise Ireland over this period will include:

- Driving innovation in Irish enterprise to unprecedented levels through new supports to reach the target of €1.25bn in R&D expenditure per annum by 2020.

- Increasing connections between its client companies and the international innovation ecosystem.

- Increasing access to Irish public sector procurement opportunities through the Small Business Research Innovation Fund as a means of validating innovative products/services with international application potential.

- Implementing a new Innovation Toolkit to support identification of innovation opportunities by its client companies.